About The Books
Star Wars & Conflict Resolution
A book series hitching the wagon of the negotiation and conflict resolution field to the bantha of Star Wars?
“As brilliant as the suns of Tatooine!” some of you might think.
“I’d sooner kiss a Wookie!”, others might respond.
But we all know how that ended.
And, the fact that we do know, is the point of Star Wars and Conflict Resolution, published in December 2022 and available through Amazon.
Star Wars is one of the largest cultural phenomena of our times; perhaps, of all times. In fact, Star Wars might be the most common shared story of our time, outside of traditional belief systems (and surpassing some). At the heart of Star Wars is one of the most common social phenomena: conflict.
However, Star Wars can teach us not only about conflicts of Death Star magnitude. Through the films, we can reflect on our own day-to-day challenges, such as:
How can we recognize the droids we’re really looking for in life, and negotiate to get them?
Why do easygoing conversations or encounters turn into aggressive negotiations at the drop of a cowl?
How can we settle the disputes we run up against, without needing to discuss it with the Hutts?
Cutting in the reverse thrusters, this flows the other way: understanding the dynamics of conflict (why and how people fight) and its resolution (how people come together to try to work things out, negotiate a deal, jointly solve a problem, or resolve a conflict) sheds new light on Star Wars’ most iconic scenes and confounding mysteries, such as:
What was Darth Vader really after that fine day in Cloud City, when he told Luke who his father really was?
Why Han was right to shoot first, not only in the cantina but in other situations as well.
How Emperor Palpatine’s conflict-by-conflict plan for galactic domination was so utterly effective – and why the Jedi were so oblivious to it.
How is it that Darth Vader walks all over Lando Calrissian in their negotiation, yet treats Boba Fett with respect? Did it pay off for him? And can I be more like The Fett?
Each book includes chapters by experts in negotiation and conflict resolution, in academia and in practice. All have decades of Stars Wars fandom on their resumes. In writing their chapters, they’ve rediscovered something that Star Wars fans have always known: the more you put into Star Wars, the more you get from it. Their teaching and practice of conflict and its resolution will never be the same. Neither will yours. After reading the books, your own capacity for lightsaber-duel smack talk, and understanding of your own personal conflict tendencies, will be forever changed. You’ll learn about empathy from a droid, ledership from a queen, cooperation from a Wookiee, and pragmatic compromise from a Hutt. The books will intrigue, tickle, provide new insights into key scenes and characters, and help you to unlearn (some of) what you have learned. You’ll learn key skills for negotiation that are far more effective than Jedi Mind Tricks or blasters, and practical tools you can employ the next time you try to restore peace and justice to a relationship, a workplace, a community, or a galaxy.
Join us!